Lessons in learning

Lessons in learning

Future teachers are schooled in quality, community in new grant-funded program

Ismael Rosario ’97 MA is a veteran Lincoln High School math teacher and a mentor to CSULA’s Urban Teacher Residency Program student Tiffany Hee. Meet the teachers in the program below.

Formulating equations for better math education

With the shared goal of improving students’ foundational
understanding and interests in mathematics, two Cal State L.A. research teams
are employing advanced math skills to address student learning and teaching in a
local school district, and train a new crop of educators.

Over the next five years, CSULA Mathematics Professor
Debasree Raychaudhuri plans to prepare as many as 40 talented math majors and
professionals to become middle and high school teachers in high-needs areas.

Fueled by a $900,000 National Science Foundation Robert
Noyce Scholars grant, Raychaudhuri and her colleagues in math and education have
developed a program that combines an innovative curriculum—drawing upon
students’ understanding of advanced arithmetic—with a support network to better
guide and prepare them for the reality of the field.

Raychaudhuri says that in the MOEBIUS (Mathematics on
Education Based Integrated Understanding Scholars) project students learn the
three R’s: math content (rigor), tools for making content meaningful to students
(relevance), and how to utilize advanced mathematics skills in foundational
courses so not to lose their own knowledge (retention). Students also have the
added bonus of receiving financial support for their studies—up to $20,000 over
two years—and of enrolling in the blended program, which allows students to
pursue a math degree and California Single Subject Credential simultaneously.

Mathematics Professor Borislava Gutarts said she first
became aware of the need to improve algebra skills when she started teaching calculus on
campus. Her students, she said, struggled in calculus because they didn’t have a solid understanding of basic algebra concepts.

“Algebra is a foundational subject,” she said. “That means
that you cannot do well in calculus if your algebra is shaky. You have to have a
strong base in order to build up.”

To address the issue, which Gutarts says limits what many
math and science professors can cover in class, she has teamed up with
colleagues, student researchers and the Montebello Unified School District to
analyze high school students’ performance in Algebra over several years. The goal of the A^3 (Active Approach to Algebra) project is to identify problem areas and present solutions to better
guide teachers in providing the groundwork for future math studies.

“We want to be able to figure out what is holding students
back,” Gutarts said.

All eyes in education will be focused on Cal State L.A.
this year as the University rolls out into the classroom its first cohort of 20
educators trained in a pioneering education model that draws inspiration from
medical residency programs.

Propelled by a five-year $8.8 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Education, the University’s
Charter College of Education launched
the Los Angeles Urban Teacher Residency Program in summer 2010 to strengthen
teacher preparation and student academic achievement. In a departure from
traditional teacher training programs, the 15-month graduate-level program
couples an intensive training and community support program with a complete
school year of working as resident-teachers.

“We knew going into this that it was a big endeavor,” said
Diane Haager, professor of
special education and counseling, and the
co-principal investigator for the grant. “But we really wanted to reconceptualize our approach to teacher education and we thought that this would
give us an opportunity to take our understanding of teacher preparation and meld
it with a new direction.”

The goal is to prepare teachers ready to enter high-needs
Los Angeles public schools and teach math, science and special education. Upon
completion of the program, students are asked to commit to teaching for three
years in the district.

“This is really a different approach because they are
learning in-residence,” said Professor of Curriculum and Instruction
A. Dee
Williams, who is also curriculum director for the grant. Williams explained that
while working in the classroom, students will also be reporting to classes and
sessions on campus two nights a week, and working with community organizations
to better understand their students and families, and the environment in which
they are teaching.

“They are surrounded by more support, for a longer period
of time…and that will help to make them well-versed in the community and the
tools needed to access a community even if they go elsewhere,” he said.

At the end of the five-year grant, program officials said
they hope to have cumulatively enrolled and trained 250 teachers—all of whom
will graduate having earned a
teaching credential and a
master’s degree in
education. Students admitted through the rigorous candidate selection process
are expected to already have bachelor’s degrees in their teaching disciplines.

The University’s Urban Teacher Residency Program was
developed from the residency model in medical training because research supports
the benefits of learning in practical and tangible ways, program officials said.
Research also shows that teacher quality is a key factor in improving student
achievement.

“It’s been really great because we are working in tandem,”
said Daniel Shalk, who is working as a teacher-resident at
Stern Math and Science School. “I’m not
just a glorified TA. You want the students to see you as a teacher—and they do.”

Shalk’s classmate and colleague at Stern, resident-teacher
Su Hyun Cho added: “The most wonderful thing about this program is the community
that comes with it. It’s not just the community of the school, the students and
the organizations, but among the resident-teachers. It’s a rare thing, but I am
sure that even after we become teachers in the future, we will still share
notes, lesson plans and experiences from the classroom. And that’s a great
resource for a new teacher.”

Cal State L.A. was one of only five
Teacher Quality
Partnership grantees selected from a pool of 17 California applicants. Three of
the four other successful proposals came from California State University
campuses—Chico; Dominguez Hills; and a joint effort by Bakersfield, Monterey Bay
and San Luis Obispo. Nationally, only 28 of 172 proposals were funded.

“Both at the federal and local level, they are taking a
good hard look at this model to see if this could be a more effective approach
to teacher education,” Haager said.

Resident-teacher Su Hyun Cho and program director Diane Haager help a student with his math problem.

Meet The Teachers

Mac ThangResident-teacher, mathStern MASS

“I didn’t want to just get thrown in and have there be no support,” he said. “(Through the
program) I am hoping to learn to just be comfortable with the students and build
a good relationship with them.”

Su Hyun ChoResident-teacher, mathStern MASS

“I am honored to be here. The most wonderful thing about this program is the community
of it. It’s not just the community of the school, the students and the
organizations, but among the resident teachers. It’s kind of a rare thing, but I
am pretty sure that even after we become teachers in the future, we will share
notes, lesson plans and experiences from the classroom. And that’s a great
resource for a new teacher.”

Daniel ShalkResident-teacher, scienceStern MASS

“It’s a huge learning experience. Especially to see Mr. Diodati’s approach. I watch him,
and I am like, man, I was boring. I was a boring teacher. …As a teacher before
(in parochial schools), I was very lecture based. To be able to see how he
incorporates his antics, his personality into his lessons is great. He is a hard
act to follow—but they matched me with the perfect person.”

Titus Ume-EzeokeResident-teacher, scienceLincoln High School

“What I am doing now, every lesson plan, I take and I am writing it down for use when I
have my own classroom. I am picking up elements from her style of teaching and
management.”

Tiffany HeeResident-teacher, mathLincoln High School

“I still have a lot to learn. Mr. Rosario’s model is different. To him, it’s not about
pacing, it’s about student learning!

Students will get bored if you make them work, work, work.
He makes them clap hands with him… I think it’s a good idea to get attention and
keep them awake. He also uses his own experiences, shares parts of his life.”

Ismael Rosario ’97 MA
Mentor teacher, math
Lincoln High School

“I am very happy to know this program is in effect and it’s helping people to come to a
very demanding profession. If you put very competent people out there without
support, you are going to lose them.”